Charlie Hope "I'm Me!" Music CD Review & Giveaway

Are you sick of the same old children's music? Have you had enough of The Wiggles? (No offense guys!) My oldest used to listen to The Wiggles all.the.time. However with the twins, we just really never got into them. For one I was tired of listening to them over and over again and to be honest, we don't listen to music as much as we should. So when I was given the opportunity to review Charlie Hope's new CD "I'm Me!" I jumped on it! A little bit about Charlie Hope:

Charlie Hope spent her childhood in Toronto and Boston harmonizing with her sister and in her school choirs. As she grew she discovered the joys of writing music as well, and it became a powerful outlet for her to express her feelings. For Charlie, music should empower not only the creator, but also the listener.

Her fresh approach to children's music stems from the many years she has spent with children - from receiving her degree in Art Therapy with Children to the preschools and private homes she has become an integral part of as a trusted caregiver. From all her experiences Charlie believes that music is vital to a child's overall well-being.

On her debut album, "I'm Me!", she created music that is relevant to children's lives; reflecting and respecting their experiences. Elements in the album include a positive take on naptime, learning about the joys of having a new child in the family and discovering the limitless possibilities we all have inside of us.

We have really been enjoying this album over the past few weeks. I love the sound and tone of Charlie's voice, it is very mellow and soothing. The songs are a lot of fun too and she has a nice folksy style. We have the album on while we are playing and when it ends we start it over again. We enjoy all of the songs but I think my personal favorite is the title song "I'm Me!" This is a great line from the chorus:

"I can act a certain way
And do all sort of things but in the end
I'm me, I'm me, I'm me"

I also really enjoy "Mr. Sun" because it is upbeat and very catchy. I find myself walking around singing it all the time. There is even a song titled "New Baby" which fits in perfectly here since our new baby is due in less than 2 months (wow).

This album also just recently received a silver Parent's Choice Award! As a very nice bonus, the CD packaging is made with all vegetable inks and minimum 10% post-consumer recycled content. Oh and no wasteful plastic case!

You can visit Charlie Hope's website to listen to all the tracks from the album, see a listing of upcoming shows and check out some photos and videos.

Shop
Charlie Hope's "I'm Me!" music CD can be purchased at Amazon.com for $14.95.

Giveaway *CLOSED*
One (1) reader will win their own autographed copy of the Charlie Hope "I'm Me!" music CD.

Mandatory Entry
Visit Charlie Hope's website and listen to some of the tracks. Come back here and tell me which song is your favorite.

Extra Entries
- Follow me on Blogger or subscribe to my RSS feed
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This giveaway is open to US and Canada Residents 18+ only and will end on Friday, November 13th at 11:59pm EST. One winner will be chosen at random using Random.org. Winner has 48 hours to claim his/her prize otherwise a new winner will be picked. You must leave your e-mail address in all of your comment(s) so I can contact you. I will not share your e-mail address with anyone, it will strictly be used to notify you if you win. Good luck!

Please note that the opinions and views expressed in this review are my own and based on my personal experience with the company and product. You may encounter a different experience with this product than I did. I did receive the product mentioned above for this review.

UPrinting Business Cards Giveaway

Once again I am happy to bring you a giveaway from the great people at UPrinting!

I really like that their Business Card Printing as well as their other printing products have eco-friendly options. I know I have mentioned these before, but I think it is important, so here they are again (may not be available on all products):

~ low-VOC soy and vegetable based inks
~ non-toxic water -based AQ coating options
~ some recycled card stocks
~ they recycle all paper scraps and properly dispose of inks

The last Business Card giveaway I ran was from DigitalRoom.com, part of the UPrinting network. In exchange I received business cards for myself, so I got some made for my blog.


I think they came out beautiful and I was more than happy with the entire process and the finished product. There is no doubt in my mind that ordering business cards through UPrinting.com would be equally great. UPrinting will be giving me 250 business cards for this giveaway as well and this time my husband is going to get some made.

You can read more UPrinting Reviews on Yelp.com.

Giveaway Details *CLOSED*
One (1) winner will receive 250 Business Cards from UPrinting.com plus free shipping! Specifications:
~ 250Business Cards
~ Choose from 4 sizes: 2 x 3.5”, 2 x 3”, 2 x 2” (square card) or 1.5 x 3.5” (skinny card)
~ Choose paper: 14 pt gloss cardstock, 14 pt matte cardstock or 13 pt recycled uncoated cardstock
~ Color: (4/4) Full Color both sides

Mandatory Entry
Leave me a comment telling me how you will use the Business Cards if you win. You must also leave me a valid email address as the coupon code with instructions will be emailed to you.

Extra Entries
- Follow me on Blogger or subscribe to my RSS feed
- Subscribe via e-mail. Your email must validate or it will not count.
- Blog about this giveaway with a link to this post and UPrinting.com. Please leave link in comment.
- Add my Green Mama's Pad button to your sidebar or add Green Mama's Pad to your blogroll. Leave your blog link.
- Follow GreenMamasPad and UPrinting on Twitter and and tweet this giveaway. You can tweet once daily. Leave link to tweet in comment.
- Fave me on Technorati and comment with your ID.
- Stumble this post and comment with your ID.
- Become a fan of Green Mama's Pad on Facebook.
- Become a fan of UPrinting on Facebook.
- Leave a comment on any non-giveaway post and let me know which one.

This giveaway is open to US Residents 18+ only and will end on Tuesday, November 3rd at 11:59pm EST. Two winners will be chosen at random using Random.org. Winner has 48 hours to claim his/her prize otherwise a new winner will be picked. You must leave your e-mail address in all of your comment(s) so I can contact you. I will not share your e-mail address with anyone, it will strictly be used to notify you if you win. Good luck!

Thank You For Voting!

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who voted for me in the Semi-Annual Dottie Awards! I was so happy to be nominated. The winners were announced yesterday and no I did not win. But hey that is OK, because the blog that did win is truly awesome. In the end, Karissa at Prissy Green whooped me by about 40 votes and believe me she deserves it. I've been a faithful follower of Prissy Green since January and it is definitely one of my favorite blogs to visit daily. If you haven't checked it out, please do - you'll love it!

Karissa also received the most votes overall of any of the nominees and I am proud to say that I came in second there as well (I think I was tied with Lee from My Sentiment ExactLee). It just goes to show how much support I got from you all. So again thank you for taking the time to vote for me, it was a lot of fun!

Wordless Wednesday: Halloween Flashback

I was hoping to have pictures of our carved pumpkins for today, but we still haven't done them yet. So instead I am doing a Halloween Flashback of each of my boys' first Halloween.


William's first Halloween as Yoda.

Twins Josh & Luke as Nemo & Squirt for their first Halloween.

Green Halloween: Skip the Face Paint

I was just reading a report from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics this morning that is more than a little disturbing. They released a new study, entitled Pretty Scary, which basically says that they have found heavy metals such as lead, nickel, cobalt and chromium in childrens' face paints. Even more upsetting is the fact that these ingredients were NOT listed on the labels. Here is a small excerpt about what they found:

For this report, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics sent 10 children's face paints to an independent lab to test for heavy metals. Among our findings:

• 10 out of 10 children's face paints we tested contained low levels of lead, ranging from 0.05 to 0.65 parts per million (ppm).
  
  Experts say there is no safe level of lead exposure for children and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that parents avoid using cosmetics on their children that could be contaminated with lead. Lead exposures early in life can lead to hyperactivity, impulsive behavior, IQ deficits, reduced school performance, aggression and delinquent behavior. It can also impact fertility, including increasing risk for miscarriage and reducing sperm quality. Early-life lead exposure can even increase risk for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.


• 6 out of 10 products contained the potent allergens nickel, chromium and/or cobalt at levels ranging from 1.6 to 120 ppm – far above the safety recommendations of industry studies.
  
  Nickel, chromium, and cobalt can trigger skin rashes that appear throughout life with subsequent exposures.

You can read more on the report and download the full report here: Pretty Scary: Heavy Metals in Face Paints. You will also find recipes for making your own face paint.

I Cherish Planet Earth Review & Giveaway

One thing I really need to start working on is teaching my sons how to care for the Earth. While my twins are still a little young to understand, my 4.5 year old certainly can. So we talk about recycling but really not much else, I just don't know where to begin or what to say. The folks over at FocusBloom have put together a great product that I think will definitely help with this!

"I Cherish Planet Earth is about appreciating and preserving nature and our planet. It is a celebration of Earth’s life and beauty. It is an inspiration to learn about and care for all life, from the tiniest flower to the greatest forest. It is a natural addition to any go-green program, at home, neighborhood, school, or other community."

I Cherish Planet Earth is a pair-matching game as well as a full-color book. Included is 48 game pieces each containing affirmations such as "I respect the ocean", "I plant a tree" and "I conserve water." Included is a cotton bag to store your game pieces in. The book, "A Love Letter to Our Planet", is filled with the same colorful pictures that you will find on the game pieces and some lovely writing. The end of the book also gives ideas on how else you can play. What is also great about this set is that the game pieces are printed on recycled cardboard, the book is printed on recycled paper and both are printed with vegetable oil-based inks. FocusBloom is also a member of 1% For The Planet and donates 1% of all sales.


Challenge and Fun, Inc. sent us an I Cherish Planet Earth to test out and my son and I have really enjoyed it. He loves matching games so as soon as we got it I had to get all of the pieces ready for him to play. This was a lot of fun for him and he did it over and over again. Then he would go through the book and match his game pieces up with the pictures on each page. I also read some of the book to him while he was matching, here is just a little excerpt that I like a lot:

"I can help protect you, Mother Earth. I can listen, read and learn, and make changes! Where there is pollution, I can give you what you need. I want your air to be clean and your water and soil to be healthy. Even the smallest can help clean up!"

I particularly love that last line because it is so true. The smallest child can clean up. The smallest changes we make can make a difference.

I Cherish Planet Earth is made in the U.S.A. and is recommended for ages 4+ up. It won the 2009 Dr. Toy Best Green Toy Award. This set would make a great gift for the child in your life or even for a teacher to use in his/her classroom.

Shop
I Cherish Planet Earth may be purchased at Amazon.com for $16.95. Shop Now

Giveaway *CLOSED*
One reader a chance to win their very own I Cherish Planet Earth game and book set!

Mandatory Entry
Tell me what you like about the I Cherish Planet Earth set and who you will be giving it to if you win.

Extra Entries
- Follow me on Blogger or subscribe to my RSS feed
- Subscribe via e-mail. Your email must validate or it will not count. Leave email address in comments.
- Blog about this giveaway with a link to this post and the sponsor. Please leave link in comment.
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- Follow GreenMamasPad Twitter and and tweet this giveaway. You can tweet once daily. Leave link to tweet in comment.
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- Become a fan of Challenge and Fun on Facebook.

This giveaway is open to US and Canada Residents 18+ only and will end on Tuesday, November 10th at 11:59pm EST. One winner will be chosen at random using Random.org. Winner has 48 hours to claim his/her prize otherwise a new winner will be picked. You must leave your e-mail address in all of your comment(s) so I can contact you. I will not share your e-mail address with anyone, it will strictly be used to notify you if you win. Good luck!

Please note that the opinions and views expressed in this review are my own and based on my personal experience with the company and product. You may encounter a different experience with this company or their products than I did. I did receive the product mentioned above for this review.

*CLOSED* Perricone Cold Plasma Giveaway

Dr. Nicholas Perricone, MD, FACN, is a board certified clinical and research dermatologist and his company, Perricone MD, is a leading manufacturer and retailer of skin care products and supplements.

Perricone MD has an amazing line of skin care products, ranging from products for acne to ones for wrinkles. One of their top ten sellers is the Perricone Cold Plasma.

"Cold Plasma represents Dr. Perricone's most comprehensive and efficacious work to date. Formulated with a revolutionary patented ionic-suspension carrier, Cold Plasma delivers all the nutrients skin cells need to help repair and regenerate.

For the first time ever, your skin will experience what Dr. Perricone refers to as biochemical individuality. Regardless of how many or how few targeted nutrients are needed by each cell, this carrier system ensures optimal delivery of nutrients to help correct the ten most visible signs of aging: wrinkles, enlarged pores, dryness, redness, discoloration, uneven skin tone, impurities, loss of firmness, loss of smoothness, and loss of radiance."

What also is great about the Cold Plasma is that it is formulated without Parabens, Sulfates, Synthetic Fragrances and Synthetic Dyes.

Giveaway
Perricone MD is giving one lucky reader their very own jar of Cold Plasma, a $150 value!

Mandatory Entry
Leave a comment telling me why you feel you would benefit from using Cold Plasma.

Extra Entries
- Follow me on Blogger or subscribe to my RSS feed
- Subscribe via e-mail. Your email must validate or it will not count. Leave email address in comments.
- Blog about this giveaway with a link to this post. Please leave link in comment.
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- Follow me on Twitter and and tweet this giveaway. You can tweet once daily. Leave link to tweet in comment.
- Add my Green Holiday Gift Guide button to your blog.
- Fave me on Technorati and comment with your ID.
- Stumble this post and comment with your ID.
- Become a fan of Green Mama's Pad on Facebook.

This giveaway is open to US Residents 18+ only and will end on Sunday, November 8th at 11:59pm EST. One winner will be chosen at random using Random.org. Winner has 24 hours to claim his/her prize otherwise a new winner will be picked. You must leave your e-mail address in all of your comment(s) so I can contact you. I will not share your e-mail address with anyone, it will strictly be used to notify you if you win. Good luck!

Perricone MD is providing the product for this giveaway.

My Plea to Trader Joe's

Oh Trader Joe's, how I love you so. Just walking in through your doors make me feel so happy. And your staff are always so cheerful and helpful, always asking if I need help finding something. That makes is such a pleasant shopping experience. Your selection of natural and organic foods is just awesome and the prices are too. No where else could I find organic chocolate syrup to make my son his morning chocolate milk. And your organic vodka sauce just may be the best vodka sauce I have ever tasted (well, except for my dad's). This past weekend I made a quick run to you to pick up a few things. I could have spent hours there, really. But I kept it short and walked out with some new treasures to try like organic alphabet pasta for the kids and organic probiotic yogurt for me (excellent, by the way). Of course, my Trader Joe's shopping trip would not be complete without a bucket of your mini chocolate chip cookies. Heaven.

However, I am sorry to say that I do have a complaint. You are just too far away. Just to drive to you takes me 30 minutes and as a mom of 3, I simply do not have the time to spend an hour round trip driving for groceries. So unfortunately, due to the distance I can only make it to your store once every other month or so. All of my online mommy friend chat about all the great stuff they get at Trader Joe's and I am jealous. I want to be able to shop there every week too!

So I am begging you to open up a location near me. I know the economy stinks right now, but I really think it would be beneficial to the both of us. Our town has a great mix of rural and business and we are in desperate need of healthy grocery store like you. And if you do come, I vow to come work for you and be a proud, happy member of your staff. So think about it, really think about it. Please. You can always email me for my location details. :)

Wordless Wednesday: Silly Pumpkin

Last week William's preschool class went on a field trip to a local farm and all the kids got to pick out a pumpkin. They brought them back to school to decorate and this is his. I think its cute. :)

*CLOSED* Due Maternity Giveaway

This is my third pregnancy and I am ashamed to admit that I am mostly wearing the same tired old maternity clothes as the first. What is so bad about that you ask? Well, it wouldn't be bad except for the fact that the vast majority of said maternity clothes are hand me downs from my sister in law and are literally over 10 years old. Yeah, a pregnant fashionista I am not! So I was really happy when I discovered Due Maternity. They have a great selection of cute and fashionable maternity and nursing clothes. They even have some organic clothes which I think is pretty cool. I didn't even know there was organic maternity clothing out there!

The fun shopping goes way beyond clothes though. At Due Maternity you will also find quite a selection of diaper bags, gifts, baby clothes and baby gear. There is even skin care for moms to be and new moms, including natural lines like Mambino Organics and Nine Naturals. You could spend a lot of time just looking at all of this great stuff and there is something for everyone. If you are in the market for something for yourself or maybe a gift for a mom-to-be, definitely hop on over there and take a look around. And don't forget to check out the Due Maternity Blog where you will find great posts written by expectant moms, including me!

Shop
Due Maternity is currently having a sale promotion where you can receive 10% off any new items. Just use coupon code NEW10 at checkout.

Giveaway
Due Maternity is giving one lucky reader a $25.00 gift certificate to spend however they wish on www.duematernity.com.

For more chances to win, you can head on over to The Morris Bunch and enter the Due Maternity Giveaway there as well!

Mandatory Entry
Visit Due Maternity and look around. Come back and tell me what your favorite item is.

Extra Entries
- Follow me on Blogger or subscribe to my RSS feed
- Subscribe via e-mail. Your email must validate or it will not count. Leave email address in comments.

- Blog about this giveaway with a link to this post and the sponsor. Please leave link in comment.
- Add my Green Mama's Pad button to your sidebar or add Green Mama's Pad to your blogroll. Leave your blog link.
- Follow GreenMamasPad and Due Maternity on Twitter and and tweet this giveaway. You can tweet once daily. Leave link to tweet in comment.
- Add my Green Holiday Gift Guide button to your blog.
- Fave me on Technorati and comment with your ID.
- Stumble this post and comment with your ID.
- Become a fan of Green Mama's Pad on Facebook.
- Become a fan of Due Maternity on Facebook.
- Leave a comment on any non-giveaway post and let me know which one.
- Stumble my How To Green Your Swiffer post.
- Vote for me for The Michael Lang Award (Green Blogger) in The Semi-Annual Dottie Awards and receive 5 extra entries!

This giveaway is open to US Residents 18+ only and will end on Thursday, October 29th at 11:59pm EST. One winner will be chosen at random using Random.org. Winner has 24 hours to claim his/her prize otherwise a new winner will be picked. You must leave your e-mail address in all of your comment(s) so I can contact you. I will not share your e-mail address with anyone, it will strictly be used to notify you if you win. Good luck!

Please note that the opinions and views expressed here are my own. Due Maternity is providing the $25.00 gift certificate for this giveaway.

Please Vote For Me - Dottie Awards!

It is time for The Semi-Annual Dottie Awards over on MomDot and I have been nominated for a blog award! So I am here to beg and plead and even bribe you for votes. If you go over and vote for me for The Michael Lang Award (Green Blogger) not only will I love you, but I will also give you 5 extra entries into any of my current contests! After you vote, just leave me 5 separate comments on the giveaway post saying something like "I Voted Dottie #1" and #2, #3, #4 and #5.



Thank you in advance for your vote!

~ Voting is now closed ~

How To Green Your Swiffer Wet Jet

Do you love the convenience of your Swiffer Wet Jet but hate the waste it creates and the chemicals that are used? With 3 kids its hard to find time to break out the mop and bucket so in between deep cleans I loved using my Swiffer for quick clean ups. But then I got to thinking about how wasteful those darn pads are plus I was cutting out all chemical cleaners. I need to green my Swiffer and with just a few simple steps, you can to!

What you will need:

• Swiffer Wet Jet
• Empty Swiffer solution bottle, thoroughly rinsed
• Pliers
• Method oMop Microfiber Mop Pad (got mine at Target) or you crafty people can Make Your Own Swiffer Pads
• Natural floor cleaner

Step 1
Let's start by removing the top of the solution bottle. You will need the pliers for this and some muscle power. I was not able to do this myself and had to call in the big guns and have my husband do it. After this, it is easy to get on and off.

Step 2
Rinse out your bottle very well to get any chemical residue out. Let it soak overnight if you have to. Then fill it with your favorite natural cleaner. Right now I have a Method floor cleaner in there but normally its filled with a homemade solution.

Step 3
Since the bottom of the Swiffer Wet Jet is almost Velcro-esque, the oMop pad sticks nicely to it. If you do not have the oMop pad or a homemade pad, you can use a small microfiber towel and a few clothes pins. Lay towel on floor and place Swiffer in center of it. Wrap it around to the top of the base, be sure to not cover the sprayer, and fasten with clothes pins. I did this for a while and it worked just fine.

Step 4
That's it, really! No more wasteful pads, no need to buy more solution bottles and no more chemicals. Easy peasy!






Bonus: Homemade floor solution
As I mentioned I normally use a homemade solution in my Swiffer. I fill the empty bottle up with mostly water, squirt in some Dr Bronner's Sal Suds and then I put in about 10 drops of lemon essential oil. I used to put a little bit of white vinegar in there but then I learned that it can damage your wood floors, so don't do that if you are using this on wood. If this is just for tile, then you can add the vinegar if you want - its a natural disinfectant. I also use this same solution, with the vinegar, in a spray bottle as an all purpose cleaner. :)

For more "Make It Monday" fun, please visit
All Things Mama and Prissy Green!

This post contains affiliate links.

Its Amazing What A Haircut Can Do

I don't get myself to the salon too often. Haircuts are just too darn expensive. But I was long overdo and needed one badly. So this morning, while daddy took our 4.5 year old to soccer, my mom came over to watch the twins while I went to get my haircut. I have to admit that I drive to another state for my haircut - about 30 minutes. Not very eco-friendly, I know, but I can honestly say that with the exception of my grandfather once as a young child, no one else has every cut my hair. Ever.

So lately I have been feeling rather fat and unattractive and well, just bleh. It is amazing what just a basic haircut can do for your self esteem. I just went in for my traditional trim, cutting a few inches off. But I walked out feeling so much better about myself. Well I still feel fat, large is a better word actually, but I am much happier about my hair. If I wasn't absolutely exhausted, I'd throw on a little eye color and take a picture. Maybe another day. :)

*CLOSED* Campus Quilt Company Review & Giveaway

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. No, it is not just the motto for Bob the Builder; it should be all of our motto's! I see more and more people recycling which is awesome. But its even better if you can Reuse something. Over the years, many of us seem to build up quite a collection of t-shirts. For you maybe they are from your college or maybe you have a lot of concert shirts. For me, I had a ton of New Jersey Devils (NHL) shirts. Most of them were probably purchased in my late teens and early twenties. When I got married back in 2003 and we moved into our house, they got packed away in a box which has just sat in the basement. I actually was holding onto them in hopes of making a blanket or quilt out of them someday, but I have absolutely no crafting or sewing abilities whatsoever.

Then a few weeks ago I came across The Campus Quilt Company. I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I was to find them. I love that you can REUSE your old shirts to make something that will last forever instead of just sending them off to a landfill.

Custom T-Shirt Quilts made from your t-shirts, sweatshirts, ties, socks, hats, baby outfits, and any other memorable fabric. If you are like most active people, you have a pile of treasured old t-shirts you just can't bear to throw away. Campus Quilt is dedicated to turning your old clothes into lasting memories in the form of fun and functional t-shirt quilts.

The process for creating my quilt was quite fun. The first step is to determine the size you want. Each "square is 15 inches and you can get a quilt as small as 9 squares (Lap Quilt) or as large as 49 squares (King Size). Once you place your order, you will be mailed out your order packet. In this packet you will find an order form, layout instructions, swatches for quilt backing (which you must return), stickers to number your shirts and a pre-paid UPS mailing label to ship your shirts and order back.



So I went into the basement and dug out my box of shirts. I threw them in the wash because hey, they've been in my basement for 6 years! Then the fun began. The Campus Quilt Company was nice enough to let me design a 16 square quilt to review. As it turns out, I had the perfect amount of shirts for it. I cleaned up my living room floor and laid them out in the order I wanted. I even folded them into 15 inch squares, because I am crazy like that.



When I was happy with the order of my shirts, I numbered them and snapped a picture, which I included with my order form just as a backup. then its time to pick your finishing touches. The price of the quilt includes cotton backing which comes in a variety of colors. I decided to go with red flannel which costs extra, but I love how soft flannel is. Some of the other extras you can get are sashing and embroidery. Then I carefully placed my shirts, in order, into the bag provided, along with my form, picture and swatches and dropped it off at Staples for UPS pickup. Turn around on quilts is about 2 to 4 weeks.

Last week my finished quilt arrived on my doorstep and we were so excited. I tore open that box immediately. I could not have been any happier with the end result. Most of the designs on my shirts were larger than 15 inches so I was a little nervous about how they would look. The Campus Quilt Company did a great job of getting the important parts into each square. I also love the stitching, which is on not just the back but on the front of the shirts. It really looks fantastic and I love it.




Shop
A custom t-shirt quilt from The Campus Quilt Company would make a perfect holiday gift. And you don't have to use just t-shirts, you can even use your favorite baby clothes. They even make t-shirt pillows so you can get a pillow to match your quilt! Be sure to get your orders in early before the holiday rush starts!

Giveaway
The Campus Quilt Company is very generously awarding one Green Mama's Pad reader with a $150 gift card to use towards their very own custom quilt.

Mandatory Entry
Visit The Campus Quilt Company and take a look around. Come back and tell me what kind of quilt you would buy with your gift card if you won. Make sure you tell me what kind of shirts/clothing items you will be sending, the size quilt and any extras you might want.

Extra Entries
- Follow me on Blogger or subscribe to my RSS feed
- Subscribe via e-mail. Your email must validate or it will not count. Leave email address in comments.
- Blog about this giveaway with a link to this post and the sponsor. Please leave link in comment.
- Add my Green Mama's Pad button to your sidebar or add Green Mama's Pad to your blogroll. Leave your blog link.
- Follow GreenMamasPad Twitter and and tweet this giveaway. You can tweet once daily. Leave link to tweet in comment.
- Add my Green Holiday Gift Guide button to your blog.
- Fave me on Technorati and comment with your ID.
- Stumble this post and comment with your ID.
- Become a fan of Green Mama's Pad on Facebook.
- Become a fan of The Campus Quilt Company on Facebook.
- Leave a comment on any non-giveaway post and let me know which one.

This giveaway is open to US Residents 18+ only and will end on Friday, October 30th at 11:59pm EST. One winner will be chosen at random using Random.org. Winner has 48 hours to claim his/her prize otherwise a new winner will be picked. You must leave your e-mail address in all of your comment(s) so I can contact you. I will not share your e-mail address with anyone, it will strictly be used to notify you if you win. Good luck!

Please note that the opinions and views expressed in this review are my own and based on my personal experience with the company and product. You may encounter a different experience with this company or their products than I did. I did receive a free product for this review.

Wordless Wednesday: Fall Foliage

New England is known for its beautiful fall foliage. It really is quite beautiful. Here is a little taste of it from our own backyard.

Our Dishwasher Is Sick

Why does it seem that things break down at the worst possible time? When we moved into our house in 2003, we immediately had to buy a new dishwasher as the one that was here didn't work. We totally got bamboozled by the previous owners on that one. So my hubby got me a new Kenmore Dishwasher that Christmas. Here we are not even 6 years later and the darn thing is getting more useless by the day. Maybe I am wrong, but shouldn't a dishwasher last more than 6 years? I'm thinking 10 is more appropriate - no?

For the past 2 years I have been having issues with it not cleaning so great. I have a particularly hard time with glasses. They come out worse then they go in and are left with little food particles on them. Lately this has gotten worse. Plates and utensils come out dirty. I do clean it regularly. I have used those dishwasher cleaners they sell in the store that you run with an empty washer. And I regularly run it on high temp with a cup or two of vinegar. Nothing seems to help. We've even tried different detergents and rinse aids but always get the same result. Things need to be rewashed which just seems so wasteful to me. Not to mention the reason why I have a dishwasher is so I don't have to hand wash things!

Then this past summer we had an issue with the water not draining out. After it would run, all the nasty waster would still be left in the bottom. We had Sears come out to look at it. Of course the warranty is long gone, and they charge $100 just to come to your house. Insane. Now if they repair it for you, they do credit you that fee, but still. It turned out that the drain pump motor thingy was shot. The service man installed a new one for us and it cost us about $120, give or take. Mind you we only paid like $300 for this thing to begin with.

Now a few weeks ago, it started making this horrendous noise. I mean it is so loud you can hear it upstairs. We have no idea what the heck it is. At the same time the detergent dispenser stopped operating correctly. Before you would turn on the dishwasher and after a few minutes, then the dispenser would open up to release the detergent. Now it just happens immediately. I don't know if it really makes a difference, but it shouldn't be happening that way. So now we are stuck in a rough spot. We are not paying another $100+ to have it serviced again. I am not putting $200-$300 into a 6 year old dishwasher when I could probably get a new one for $400. However, we don't have the money for a new dishwasher either. Like I said, this kind of stuff always happens at the worst possible time and since my hubby has been laid off for 7 months now, neither repairing it or buying new is feasible.

I have to say I am a little disappointed in my Kenmore here. I really expected to get at least 10 years out of it. Am I crazy for thinking that? How long have your dishwashers lasted? While we're at it, if you love yours then tell me about it. Once this thing completely dies we will be left with no choice to replace it so I can use some recommendations.